Latest news with #aorticaneurysm
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Hucknall man's charity walk after surviving 'silent killer'
"It's a really, really serious condition. They call it a silent killer."James Houghton was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm after being rushed to the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham in May underwent three major operations to save his life in the five months that followed, including two open heart on medication for life, the 47-year-old from Hucknall in Nottinghamshire is now in good health and will be walking 25km with his family on Saturday to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. The father-of-two explained how he had been getting ready to go to bed when he started to feel unwell and noticed a "strange sensation" in his chest."It was just a pain when I inhaled," he said."I had to have the shallowest breaths in order to not feel that pain, which is obviously not normal."But me being a typical bloke, I didn't really do anything about that until the wife realised I was still doing it the following morning and that's when we called the ambulance." After being diagnosed at the QMC, James was transferred to Nottingham City Hospital where he had to have open heart surgery to repair the aneurysm and a faulty bicuspid valve, which regulates blood flow from the heart to the returned home, but quickly deteriorated after developing endocarditis, a heart six weeks, James was back in hospital for a second open heart surgery, this time to have a mechanical valve dad, Paul Houghton, said renal experts did not think he would survive another operation, adding "but there was no choice"."He was then in a coma, which was normal, and we expected him to come out after two or three days," he explained."He didn't, and after nine days his poor wife was asked to go in and say goodbye to him because he was that ill and the doctors really didn't think he would pull added: "Miraculously, he survived it." But James's hospital treatment was not over yet - the femoral artery burst in his leg as a complication from his previous needed a third operation to repair it and save his life once told the BBC he feels "crazy lucky" to have survived."[I] can't really fathom it when I think about it afterwards," James said."I was on a natural high for about a year afterwards. Every petal, every rainbow, every cloud was amazing."It was a brilliant, brilliant way to feel and that all came from just recognising how lucky I was."The NHS says abdominal aortic aneurysms are most commonly seen in men over Birdi, the consultant who performed both of James's open heart surgeries, said: "I've been doing cardiac surgery for 25 to 30 years now, I have never seen an aneurysm so large in such a young patient."For a man in his early 40s to have such a huge aneurysm and then ultimately survive it and be doing what he's doing today, is a very rare thing. Probably the only time I've seen it in my clinical career."Since James's diagnosis, his immediate family have all had heart scans. A potentially similar heart defect has been found in his younger sister and one of his sons. They will now be monitored to ensure their hearts remain healthy. Three generations of James's family will take part in the Peak District Ultra Challenge on Saturday.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Doctor reveals the simple thumb test that can show a 'ticking time bomb' heart problem
An emergency doctor has flagged a one-minute DIY test that could reveal a 'ticking time bomb' killer heart condition. Dr Joe Whittington, an emergency medicine expert from California, said the hack, which involves stretching your thumb across the wrist, could indicate a high risk of suffering an aortic aneurysm. This involves the aorta—the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body—bulging or swelling, risking a rupture. Ruptures in the blood vessel are often fatal due to severe internal bleeding, unless treated rapidly with emergency surgery. In a video on TikTok that has so far amassed over 230,000 views, Dr Whittington told his followers: 'Hold up your palm and try and stretch your thumb across as far as you can. Does it stop about there? 'Or does it extend pass your palm like these? If it does that is a positive thumb-palm test.' If your thumb extends past your palm this could mean your connective tissues are 'very stretchy', he said, indicating that the same stretchiness applies to the tissues in the arteries, meaning a high chance of swelling or bulging. He went on to detail a 2021 study, published in the American Journal of Cardiology, which found 60 per cent of people with known aortic aneurysms had a positive palm-thumb test. @drjoe_md Can your thumb predict a hidden heart problem? 🫣 The 'thumb-to-palm' test was linked to a higher risk of ascending aortic aneurysm in a Yale study, almost 60% of patients with aneurysms had a positive result. But before you panic, this doesn't mean you have one. It's just one potential sign of stretchy connective tissue, which could also mean a stretchy aorta. If your thumb crosses your palm, especially with a family history of heart issues or connective tissue disorders, talk to your doctor. Flexibility is great… just not in your arteries. 😅 #hearthealth #ehlersdanlossyndrome #connectivetissuedisorder #healthtips ♬ original sound - Dr. Joe, M.D. 🩺 The researchers gave the test to 305 patients underdoing cardiac surgery for a variety of disorders, including aortic aneurysms. While the majority of aneurysm patients do not manifest a positive thumb-palm sign,, patients who did have a positive test had a high likelihood of harboring an aneurysm. It's estimated that around 5,000 people in the UK die from aorta-related problems every year, with aneurysms and dissections being the leading causes. While many aneurysms don't cause symptoms until they rupture, doctors may spot them during routine test and offer treatments to prevent damage such as blood pressure medication. Those that do cause symptoms tend to trigger pain in the chest, neck, and/or back; swelling of the head, neck and arms; coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood. But those with a positive palm-thumb test, 'should not freak out', said Dr Whittington. 'It's worth bringing it up with your doctor so they can diver deeper into any sort of connective tissue disorders.' There are over 200 disorders that impact connective tissue, but there are different types. These include genetic disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, autoimmune disorders such as lupus and cancers like some types of soft tissue sarcoma. The three most common aortic-related connective tissue disorders are Marfan Syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Loeys-Dietz Syndrome. In the UK, over 18,000 people are affected by Marfan syndrome, although it is believed to remain undiagnosed in many people. Experts estimate nearly half of people who have the condition don't know it, so knowing the signs can save lives. It can cause symptoms like heart palpitations, eye pain, shortness of breath and vision changes like astigmatism. It can affect other parts of the body giving physical features like long and narrow face, limbs that seem too long for the rest of the body, and crowded teeth. Those with this condition are at up to a 250 times greater risk of aortic dissection, a tear or rupture between layers of the aortic wall, than the general population. EDS is a group of inherited connective tissue disorders affecting the skin, joints and blood vessels. It is estimated there are anywhere between 135,000 and 300,000 people in the UK with the condition. The most common type of EDS is hypermobile EDS (hEDS), which is thought to be underdiagnosed. It is estimated that around 740 people in the UK have vEDS which is diagnosed on the basis of subtle signs in their physical appearance and their medical history. Common features include a history of easy and significant bruising often from birth, varicose veins, lobeless ears and fine hear which may be thinning. Others include unusually visible veins, thin nose and lips, prominent eyes, and premature aging of the skin on the hands and feet. However, not everyone who has similar features which are common in the population will have vEDs. It is estimated there are less than one in 100,000 people with Loeys-Dietz Syndrome in the UK.
